Lucy's meanness
Posted by gkb on December 18, 1997 at 19:06:15:
In response to Excellent point!, written by Rita on December 18, 1997 at 12:10:07
] Lucy, relishes undermining people specially Elinor, this indicates that at "some" level she envies her(otherwise she would not bother). Thus, can she really be happy.
Lucy is certainly ill-natured and has a mean streak about a mile wide. She is grasping, calculating, and manipulative. As Austen portrayed her, I do think you are right about her small chances for real happiness, which Austen places in domestic harmony and inward contentment. I wonder how she would respond to real hardship, such as illness or severe poverty.
] also yes, I do believe you have to have an open heart to love and this she doesn't have.
Love is very far from her grasping hands, but I do not think she knows love exists. That is even sadder than her greed. But of course, there are such people in the world. I suspect that the person you mention may have depressive tendencies, perhaps, underlying the inability to rejoice for others. Lucy seems motivated by fear of poverty, but what motivates the individual you speak of may be a history of childhood neglect or even a chemical imbalance, or something else we do not see. In literature we can see people whole and complete, but in daily life there are often many hidden factors that cause our behavior. The acts of others are as mysterious as our own acts! It is a fascinating study to learn as much as possible before we decide about a person's character, even our own. That is so much a part of human development that I am grateful to Austen for providing such clear pictures of human behavior. We can learn a lot about how to negotiate the tricky currents of life from her! When to be open, when to be silent--how to be both courteous and candid--when to trust our inner feelings and when to be guided by principle. There is a lot there, I think. Do you agree?
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